John Merwin Oldrin (1836-1903)
John Merwin Oldrin (1836-1903) was a schoolteacher and publisher who was married three times. (b. 1836; Westhampton, New York - d. June 25, 1903; Manhattan, New York) Parents *Edward Oldrin (1802-1874) *Catherine X (1814-1887). She may have been a Miller, that was the middle name of her grandchildren. Birth He was born in February of 1836 in Westhampton, New York. First marriage He married Nettie Burtis Coles (c1840-1869) in 1856-1857. Children *Carrie L. Oldrin (1857-?) who married George W. Simonson on October 4, 1883. *Lizzie L. Oldrin (1860-?) *Lillian Oldrin (1862-?) *Nettie B. Oldrin (1865-?) *Oliver John E. Oldrin (1867-?) Second marriage He married Clara Randall (1839-1878) of Michigan in 1869. She was born in 1839 in Connecticut, USA. She died in 1878 in Hempstead, Queens, New York, USA. Christ's Presbyterian Church wrote in 1878: "Mrs. Clara R. Oldrin, wife of J. M. Oldrin, died at Sea Cliff." Children *Clara M. Oldrin (1873-?) who married John A. Bader (1866-?) in 1894 and had as her son, John Merwin Oldrin Bader (1895-1975) *Grace Helen Oldrin (1877-?) was born on November 24, 1877 Third marriage He married Eva S. Rogers (1860-?) in 1881. Children *Charles Miller Oldrin (1881-1962) who married Clara Isabel Hurlbut (1877-?) Death He died on June 26, 1903 in Manhattan, New York. Obituaries *The New York Daily Tribune wrote on July 26, 1903: "John Merwin Oldrin, a well known Sea Cliff resident, died yesterday in this city. He was born at Westhampton, Long Island, in 1836. For ten years he was a teacher in the Hempstead schools, and served for a time as clerk of Hempstead. Mr. Oldrin was for some time principal of the Sea Cliff school. Later he engaged in business, and was for ten-years proprietor and editor of The Sea Cliff News. For years he had been in the real estate business at Sea Cliff. This season he took his son in to partners in his law firm , J. M. Oldrin & Co. The funeral will be held at his home, in Sea Cliff, on Monday, at l:00 p.m. The burial will be at Hempstead." *The New York Times wrote on July 26, 1903: ""Death List of the Day. John Merwin Oldrin. Special to The New York Times. Sea Cliff, L. I., July 21, 1903 — News was received here of the death in New York early this morning of John Merwin Oldrin, one of Sea Cliff's original settlers. Mr. Oldrin went to the city for treatment last Pall. He was expected home a month ago. but his condition Changed and he died Without returning home. Mr. Oldrin was a native born Long Islander and one of the best-known men here. He was born at Westhampton. For a long term of years he resided at Hempstead, assisting while Town Clerk of Hempstead in the transfer of the Garden City estate to A. T. Stewart. After removing to Sea Cliff he was at different times Principal of the school here, member of the School Board, and President of the Inclined Cable Railroad Company. He was best known, how-ever, as editor and proprietor of The Sea Cliff News, a business which he only relinquished when ill-health made it necessary. He leaves a wife and a grown family. His body will be brought home for burial." Research on John Merwin Oldrin *Norman Jackson writes: "He was born in February of 1836 in New York, USA. He married Clara L. Randall about 1857. John was counted in a census in 1850 in Marbletown, Ulster, New York. He was counted in a census in 1870 in Hempstead, Queens, New York, USA. He was counted in a census in 1880 in Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay, Queens, New York, USA. He was counted in a census in 1900 in Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay, Queens, New York, USA. He died in 1903 in Manhattan." *On January 15, 1956 the Long Island Forum wrote: "Sea Cliff's Unique Railway. During the latter years of the 19th century the north shore village of Sea Cliff had a very unusual means of transportation leading from the business section to the shorefront. It was called the Seacliff Inclined Cable Railway and was owned and operated by a company of which John Merwin Oldrin, publisher of the Sea Cliff News, was for a time the president. Oldrin, born at West Hampton in 1836, son of the Methodist minister, was a man of ideas, it seems. At the age of 14 he began studying for the ministry but later took up schoolteaching which carried him to various parts of the state, finally settling at Hempstead where he taught for some ten years. Meanwhile, marrying Miss Nettie Burtis Coles of Southold, they had four daughters and a son. After giving up teaching, Oldrin became a member of the general mercantile firm of Clowes, Oldrin & Co., at Hempstead, also serving as village clerk, trustee and town clerk. He later returned to school- teaching for a spell and in 1869 married Miss Sarah Clarissa Randall, also a schoolteacher, from Michigan. In 1876 they located at Sea Cliff where he started a retail store and a local express business. After a few years he opened a real estate office and in 1888, having accumulated a considerable surplus, purchased the Sea Cliff News, running it in connection with his other enterprises." File:1900 census Oldrin SeaCliff.jpg|1900 census File:Oldrin-JohnMerwin 1903June26.png|1903 File:Oldrin-JohnMerwin 1962February15.png|1962 Category: Non-SMW people articles Category: Born in Westhampton, New York